Opposition MP arrested in presence of SADC heads of state – ZimEye

By Political Reporter – On the same day that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State met in Harare, opposition MP Prince Sibanda was arrested in Beitbridge.

Sibanda’s arrest follows a series of police crackdowns, with the previous day police arrested 12 people in Gokwe for allegedly protesting against the ruling Zanu PF government.

The arrests, confirmed by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), sparked outrage among citizens and human rights groups.

The detained individuals were reportedly members of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), who had publicly opposed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent appointment as the Chairman of the Southern African Development Community.

They are currently being held at Chitekete police station and are accused of holding a flash mob protest on August 15, 2024 at Gokwe centre.

Among the detainees were two wives of Tawanda Siampongo from Gokwe-Kabuyuni constituency, who were arrested after police failed to locate their husbands.

The arrests sparked widespread condemnation, with critics saying the government’s actions were a blatant crackdown on dissent.

In a widely circulated video on Thursday, activist leader Givemore Chuma voiced the group’s displeasure, saying: “SADC must not be used to glorify the illegitimacy of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. We, the people of Gokwe, reject this. Mnangagwa must go – he was not elected by the people. Lawyer Nelson Chamisa is the real winner and deserves to be the president.”
The protests came amid growing discontent with Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF party, which has been in power for 44 years, with many believing the party has failed to deliver on its promises. Opposition discontent was fueled by the recent abduction of opposition activist Costa Machingauta, who was forcibly taken from his home by armed men on Thursday night. His lawyers eventually found him in police custody and held in solitary confinement. Machingauta claimed his minor children were beaten during the abduction, heightening concerns about human rights.
As leaders of the Southern African Development Community gather in Harare, Sibanda’s arrest and the escalating crackdown on opposition figures are likely to cast a shadow over the summit, raising serious concerns about the state of democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe.

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